Sand and Chalk Mandalas

Sandpainting (Dry painting) is the art of painting ritual Mandalas for religious or healing ceremonies, out of sand or chalk.

The Native Americans create many mandala sand paintings during their secret healing rituals. These ‘paintings’ remain sacred, and are never photographed. The order and symmetry of the painting symbolize the harmony that the patient wishes to reestablish in his or her life. Sitting on the sandpainting helps the patient absorb some of their power, while in turn the Holy People will absorb the illness and take it away. Afterwards, the sandpainting has done its duty, and is then considered to be toxic, since the illness is absorbed into it. That is the reason they must be disposed of afterwards. Because of the sacred nature of the ceremonies, the sandpaintings are begun, finished, used, and destroyed within a twelve hour period.

The Tibetan Monks create large sand mandalas over a period of time, overlooked by villagers, holy men. The sand is carefully placed on a large, flat table, by pouring the sand from traditional metal funnels called chak-pur.. The mandala sand painting process begins with an opening ceremony, during which Tibetan priests, consecrate the site and call forth the forces of goodness. This is done by means of chanting, music, and mantra recitation.

The destruction of a sand mandala is also highly ceremonial. The sand is collected in a jar which is then wrapped in silk and transported to a river (or any place with moving water), where it is released back into nature. For this reason, the materials in a sand mandala are always biodegradable, and, in keeping with the symbolism are never used twice.

In India, Rangoli is practiced by the women in the home. Rangoli is the art of creating a mandala on the floor outside or inside the home. Traditionally practiced on festival days, or days of special importance, Indian women use an array of different mediums, from coloured flour, spices, grains, or flour paint. Some Rangolis are used to ward off ill luck and invite the forces of prosperity and fortune in to the home. Others proclaimed the favourite form of god of the person making the pattern. What is to be noted is that the Rangoli is a very fragile construct, composed as it is of powders.

I believe that Mandalas can act as a tool for bringing all faiths and religions together, and bring peace to all who accept them into their lives.

The sacred destruction of mandalas may be done in many ways. Some sand/chalk mandalas are placed on pavements. The mandala is exposed to the elements in a high traffic public space. In the instance of street mandalas, the making and the destruction is also a sacred process. The destruction is partially completed by people who pass by and unknowingly step on the mandala without seeing it. Some people will help it along by scuffing the mandala. The rain, wind and snow will finish the work till not a trace of sand remains. A natural process.